Sen. Nicole Mitchell's trial rescheduled for July after lawmaker shootings

Sen. Mitchell responds to burglary charges

A Minnesota Senator representing Woodbury is responding after being charged with breaking into a home early Monday morning in an attempt to steal items that she said have family connections.

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (FOX 9) - The trial of Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell has been rescheduled for July after the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. 

Trial rescheduled for July

The backstory:

Mitchell, who represents Woodbury, faces a count of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools for allegedly breaking into her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes in April 2024. 

Mitchell was originally scheduled for trial in January, but it got pushed back so she could finish out the legislative session. That ended last week in a special session.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin on Monday, June 16, but instead the judge and attorneys met via Zoom for a hearing on Monday, where the judge agreed to delay the trial in light of the recent shootings and manhunt.

Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home, while Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot and injured in their Champlin home. Vance Boelter, 57, is facing federal and state charges in connection with the shootings. 

Federal charging documents detailed how Boelter allegedly visited four lawmakers' homes on the morning of the shootings. Additionally, authorities recovered a handwritten notebook with a "hit list" of 45 Democrats, including dozens of Minnesota lawmakers and members of Congress. Sen. Mitchell's name was included on the list. 

What's next:

The trial has been rescheduled for Monday, July 14. 

Sen. Mitchell charges 

Dig deeper:

A criminal complaint states that Detroit Lakes police responded to a reported burglary at a home around 4:45 a.m. on April 22, 2024.

At the scene, police found Mitchell in the home's basement dressed in all black. Officers say they also found a flashlight covered with a black sock on Mitchell.  Officers searched for a black backpack that was stuck in a window at the scene and recovered two laptops, a cellphone, a driver’s license, Senate identification and miscellaneous Tupperware, according to the complaint.

Mitchell reportedly told investigators she was "just trying to get some of my dad's things" and added "clearly, I'm not good at this." 

The complaint states that Mitchell explained to police that her father had just died, and she wanted sentimental items her stepmother refused to give to her.

Mitchell said those include her father's ashes, pictures, clothes and other sentimental items.